


Meet Me at the Middle Ground

by Not_So_Typical_Girl



Category: Good Omens (TV), Good Omens - Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Angst, Aziraphale's Bookshop (Good Omens), Bisexual Crowley (Good Omens), Coffee Shops, Cuddling & Snuggling, Depression, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Falling In Love, Female Beelzebub (Good Omens), First Kiss, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Hurt/Comfort, Ineffable Bureaucracy (Good Omens), Ineffable Husbands (Good Omens), Ineffable Idiots (Good Omens), Kissing, Love Confessions, M/M, Making Up, Pansexual Gabriel, Sharing a Bed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-19
Updated: 2019-08-18
Packaged: 2020-07-08 11:35:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 17,538
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19868971
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Not_So_Typical_Girl/pseuds/Not_So_Typical_Girl
Summary: On a street corner in Soho, a bookshop under the name 'A.Z. Fell and Co' sits. Across from said bookshop, an eccentric coffee shop titled, 'The Middle Ground' sits. Aziraphale, the owner of the bookshop, and a barista named Crowley have been watching each other through the windows, silently crushing on one another. Yet neither of them have worked up the nerve to wonder into each other's shop. Until one day, Aziraphale works up the courage to amble into The Middle Ground. Crowley just has to make his move. Unfortunately, another barista in the shop has other plans...Basically, a human! coffee shop AU mixed with a soap opera.





	1. Crossing that Bridge

**Author's Note:**

> Hey there! This is 'Meet me at the Middle Ground!'. This fic contains swearing and possibly the occasional innuendo, but nothing too intense. I hope you decide to stay a while and that you enjoy this, because I certainly had a lot of fun writing this fanfiction. <3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! This is "Meet Me at the Middle Ground"! This fic contains swearing and perhaps the occasional sexual reference, but nothing wild. Thank you for deciding to pop in! I hope you enjoy this fanfiction, because I certainly had a lot of fun writing it. <3

On a street corner in Soho, a bookshop with the name of 'A.Z Fell and Company' sits. On the street corner across the way, a coffee shop with the title of 'The Middle Ground' sits. 

The Middle Ground was rather eccentric, a bit over-the-top. It's theme had been based on the idea that Earth is in between Heaven and Hell, hence the name. The ceilings were a pure white with gray and pale blue clouds, as well as the occasional star, hanging about in different places. This was the 'Heaven' in the cafe. The walls, at the top, were a cream color, which slowly blended down into a blue, then black. It made for quite a nice ombre effect. The floor was made of concrete, painted black. In the center of the floor, a mural of Earth was painted, an angel on one side, a demon on the other. Written across the earth were the words: "The Middle Ground". 

There were decorations scattered strategically across the place. Cherub figures were placed balanced on the registers, demon statues placed at the front doors. Six red roses were in the center of every table, thorns attached. The shop had walls of windows, allowing the people passing by to see inside the shop. On the left side of the cafe, ''Heaven's" side, white wings and halos were painted on the windows. On the right side, black wings and horns, no doubt belonging to 'Hell'.

Then there was the staff. The staff were to imitate Demons or Angels. The 'Angels' wore white button-up shirts, with cerulean blue aprons. The 'Demons' wore black button-ups with crimson aprons. The shop's lore was that the customers were the humans of earth. On the Angel's side were Micheal, as well as the assistant manager, Gabriel. On the Demon's side, were Hastur and Ligur- a duo who liked to stir up trouble much to the annoyance of Beelzebub, the manager. She was a black-haired small woman, but she was strict and could be terrifying. Finally, there was Crowley. Crowley honestly didn't care much for being a barista, but he needed the money. 

Crowley supposed the title of 'demon' fit him. He wasn't particularly nasty towards people, but he wasn't particularly fond of them either. Crowley tried to rush customer interactions, as he liked to spend his time at work staring at the bookshop across the street, trying to catch a glimpse of the cute owner. 

The owner of A.Z. Fell and Co. was named Aziraphale, Crowley had heard from customers. He was a gentle, sweet soul, with a figure leaning on the plump side. He had a head full of snowy blonde curls and striking blue eyes. When Crowley was lucky, he could see him, settling down with a cup of tea, book in hand. Crowley found it both adorable as well as endearing. The ginger knew that Aziraphale was probably someone who would never be interested in him, but it wasn't like anything would happen anyway. Crowley didn't have the courage in him to wonder into his bookshop. He would look rather out of place, Crowley knew nothing about books. He preferred movies. Took up less time.

The truth was that Crowley _believed_ Aziraphale would never be interested in him, but on the contrary, the book keeper already was. The blonde had seen him across the way as well, and the lanky man with auburn hair had quickly caught his attention. Over time, the book keeper had become enamoured by the mystery man. He'd managed to catch him looking in towards the bookshop more than once. Unfortunately, the barista had never stumbled in as he'd hoped. So, after a while of working up courage, Aziraphale decided he'd have a gander in. You never knew what things can become until you try, and today was the day. 

He'd kept an eye on the cafe through the morning, making sure the ginger was working that day. After seeing the lanky barista ambling around the cafe, it was clear that he was, so when his lunch break came around; the blonde determinedly switched the sign to closed, slipping out and locking the door behind him. 

He was on register duty when Crowley saw Aziraphale slip out of his shop and lock the door, so he watched in curiosity, thankful for the view. However, his stomach quickly dropped when he realized the man was headed straight for the coffee shop. Gabriel was also on register duty across the shop. The redhead was almost in a panic now, he felt like a middle school girl who's crush was coming her way. Which was _not_ a cool feeling. The panicked man wasn't sure if he wanted the book lover to go to Gabriel or to him for his order.

Yet, when Aziraphale came in, he made a beeline for Crowley's register. It was both a blessing as well as a curse. He quickly had to pull himself together, trying to calm his racing heart. He hoped he looked okay.

"Hi. You're at The Middle Ground. What can we get for you?" He asked, as smoothly as he could muster. He smiled at him, praying it didn't look like a grimace.

Regardless, Aziraphale smiled back at him warmly. "Hi. Could I get a Halo Dusted Hot Cocoa, please?" Ah, one of the drinks labeled as one from 'Heaven'. It was just normal hot chocolate, but it had a circle of whipped cream at the top that resembled an Angel's halo. It seemed fitting for the man in front of him. Sweet and warm. 

Crowley nodded- grabbing at a cup, trying desperately not to fumble. "Can I get a name for the order?" He asked, though he didn't really need the name.

"Oh! Aziraphale--- or just Zira."

Zira. That was interesting. So, Crowley jotted down Zira as neatly as he could, then looked back up at the man before him. "That'll be ready for you in just a moment, sir."

The barista spun around, searching. "Ligur!" He called out, as that was who he saw first. He placed the cup in waiting hands, relaying the order to him. The Heaven and Hell appearances really didn't matter outside of customer range. They all knew the drinks for both sides, protocol was the same for all of them.

Ligur looked behind him at the customer who ordered it, then raised his eyebrows. "Hey... isn't that the book keeper you've got a crush---"  
  
Crowley cut him off. Hastur and Ligur knew all about his affection for the stranger, they'd wrestled it out of him one day when they saw him staring out the window. But now was not the time for them to poke fun. _"Maybe._ Just fill the order! When you're done, I need you to bring it to me."

Ligur didn't say anything else, but Crowley swore he heard him chuckling lightly. He would get him back for it eventually. 

Crowley, meanwhile, returned to the counter. Aziraphale was still standing at the counter. Luckily, it was a Wednesday, meaning the shop was quiet. That meant that Crowley could strike up a conversation, despite his relentless pounding heartbeat.

"Hey, aren't you the owner of A.Z Fell and Co?" He asked casually, already knowing the answer. Aziraphale nodded. "That I am. It's been a quiet day today, so I thought I'd pop out for a little bit. Change of scenery, you know. I think it was about time I came in here."

Only then did Crowley notice the book tucked underneath the blonde's arm. He planned to stay in here? Again, both a good and bad thing. 

"Wednesdays always seem quiet in this part of Soho." He commented, keeping up with the banter. 

Aziraphale nodded in response, then asked: "How long have you been working here?" He full well already knew the answer, he'd taken notice of him when the shop first opened a few months ago, but he was trying to keep the conversation rolling.

"Oh. A few months, I got hired almost as soon as it opened. Guess I fit the theme, the aesthetic here. Not my dream job, but it pays the bills." He replies. The conversation has a steady beat to it, as if they know one another and their hearts aren't skipping beats as they speak.

"What would you like to be doing?" Aziraphale asked gently, trying not to overstep.

"Something to do with astronomy. Specifically the stars. I've always found them mesmerizing." Crowley was honest in his reply. Crowley had always wanted to work with astronomy since he was a boy, but a degree was needed for that. He hadn't exactly been in the position to go to university when he'd graduated high school. But he wasn't about to share that out loud.

Much too soon, Aziraphale's order was being placed in Crowley's hands.

He reached out to give Aziraphale the cup, and when Aziraphale reached for it, their fingers brushed. Heat pooled in the redhead's cheeks, which made him want to smack himself across the face.

"Thank you." The blonde smiled at him, which Crowley could not help himself from smiling back. Then, he ambled his way towards a table by the window, cracking open his book.

When Aziraphale turned away, Crowley suddenly felt heavy. He almost missed him, which was incredibly alarming after just one encounter. How could this man have such an effect on him? But, now what could Crowley do? Nobody was at the counter for taking orders. Crowley _could_ blatantly watch Aziraphale and try not to get caught. Was it a bad idea? Yes. Was he going to do it? Yes. He couldn't help himself. 

"Who's the gentleman that you're staring at?" Gabriel's hushed voice sank into his ears behind him after a moment, making him jump.

"Oh. That's the owner of the bookshop 'cross the street. His name is Aziraphale."

Gabriel hummed, walking away, eyes glancing back to Aziraphale. Crowley nearly growled. He knew that noise. That was a noise of interest, and Crowley wasn't having any of it. Crowley had been crushing on Aziraphale since the first day he saw him, he wasn't about to have Gabriel snatch him up.

Aziraphale had stayed in the shop for about 45 minutes, just peacefully reading. A few customers came in and out during that time, but Crowley had managed to slip away from the register to _'_ casually' clean around the shop, trying to sneakily creep closer to Zira. The tactic worked, more or less. He'd caught the angel looking up at him a few times, his gaze lingering just a moment to long each time.

It was weird, the immediate affect the blonde had on him. Just having him in the shop gave Crowley a spring in his step, more enthusiastic to actually do his job. He worked harder than he usually would. 

When he was finished wiping a table clean, he turned and nearly flew back in fright. Aziraphale had taken place to stand right behind him. "Oh! I'm sorry. I didn't mean to spook you." He quickly said earnestly.

Crowley shook his head. This man was too sweet. "No, that's alright. What's up?"

Aziraphale's eyes shifted away, as if embarrassed. "I just... I didn't get your name, and I was wondering."

"The name's Crowley. Well, Anthony is my first name. But I generally prefer to go by Crowley." He told him without hesitation. It seemed he couldn't stop spilling information.

Aziraphale smiled. "Ah. Crowley. Well, it's great to meet you." A hand was placed out for the taking.

Crowley met it, giving a friendly shake, flashing his boldest smile while he felt color rising to his cheeks. "The pleasure is all mine."

He didn't feel so bad about blushing when he saw Aziraphale's own cheeks tinted pink.

Then, Aziraphale left after saying goodbye. Crowley felt... unreasonably sad. But also happy. As he made his way back to the register, flinging the washing rag over his shoulder, he saw Gabriel's blasted eyes following him. He met them, Gabriel looking away. He'd been watching him and Zira.

Both men, when their encounter was over, had the same thought cross their minds: ' _Well. That went well.'_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So as for updates, I believe the schedule will be about every five days. So, I should be publishing the next chapter on July 24th! I hope to see you there :)


	2. Stumbling, Sinking, Falling in...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! So, as I said, it's July 24th!!! So here is chapter 2 :)  
> This is where some drama starts to pick up.

Aziraphale made a point to come into The Middle Ground at least three times a week. Crowley had memorized his order due to how often he came in. It was always when Crowley was working, too. He never came in when he wasn't. He'd found that fact out thanks to Gabriel. The angel barista had come up to him during a slow shift, asking if they knew one another outside of the coffee shop. Crowley answered with a confused "no?". Then Gabriel gave a bit of a huff, then replied that it was strange, because Gabriel had taken notice that the book keeper would only ever make an appearance when Crowley was working. If the ginger wasn't in, the blonde wouldn't be in either.

It was driving Crowley a little crazy. Every time Aziraphale came in, he would go straight to Crowley (which drove Gabriel insane). In fact, if Crowley wasn't at the register, Aziraphale would peep his head around, asking for him. The first time it happened, Crowley nearly yelled. Hastur had been on register duty at the time, so he slipped into the back where the barista in question was. "Hey, your bookworm boyfriend is here, he's looking for you." He was sarcastic in his delivery, teasing the ginger. Crowley nearly doubled over when he realized he meant Zira.

They would always chat for a while, Aziraphale going on about his customers or the new book he's been reading. The blonde always kept his polite stance, but the lanky ginger noted that whenever he was in the picture, Zira relaxed a little. 

The more Crowley got to know the sweet man, the more he fell for him. It was almost infuriating. They were almost polar opposites, but Aziraphale was always so kind. People usually never bothered listening to Crowley, but the bookshop owner _always_ did listen. Always nodding along, going back and forth while his beautiful blue eyes looked gently into his amber ones. It was so easy to talk to him, too. They understood one another. It was almost like Crowley already knew him.

The sudden closeness between Aziraphale and Crowley had certainly thrown some dramatics into the mix of his workplace. Gabriel, the demonic barista soon learned, had become interested in Zira. It all made sense, Gabriel was always inching a little to close to Zira and Crowley when they were talking. Always piping up at the counter when Crowley wasn't there. " _Oh, I can take your order, sir!"_ The smile that grazed the stupid man's face when Aziraphale ambled into the shop, only to be taken off when he saw that the blonde only had eyes for Crowley.

Then that started problems with Beelzebub. The manager had apparently been harboring affection for Gabriel. It made sense, Gabriel was the only one she was _almost_ nice too. On slow days, those two usually huddled together, talking about ways to improve the business, shift making... but Crowley had picked up other topics of conversation. One weekend they had met to binge watch sitcoms. Now that he thought of it, Beelzebub softened when the assistant-manager was in the picture, her eyes were always on him. She really liked him, meaning she was _not_ happy when he took an interest in Aziraphale. Beelzebub had dragged Crowley to the back, nearly hissing at him. "Tell me, who is this man who keeps stumbling into the shop and disrupting your work?" 

"Oh, Aziraphale? He's my--- he's my friend. He owns the bookshop across the street." He calmly explained. Crowley already knew why she was so angry. It wasn't with him, but with the fact that Gabriel's gaze wasn't on her. 

"Well, when he comes in again, you need to hurry him along, alright!? I'm sick of you and Gabriel gawking at him." She snarled, turning away. Crowley raised his eyebrows. Yeah, like he was going to try to put a stop to his conversations with Zira. Fat chance.

However, Gabriel was really starting to bother him. Crowley needed to step up his game. He wanted to get to know the book keeper even more. So, he snuck back to Hastur and Ligur. He didn't particularly like the two, but they were entertaining enough. They would be willing to help him, anything to fuel the situation at hand. "Hey, you two. I need you to do me a favor." 

They both raised their eyebrows at him. "Look, when Aziraphale comes in and does his usual order, I need whoever is making it to hold it for a minute. When it takes longer than usual, I will have to come back to retrieve it. There's something I want to write on his cup without him seeing me do it." Crowley's explanation was kind of rushed, but they caught on. 

"Finally making a move then, huh?" Ligur joked. Crowley rolled his eyes. "Shut up." 

\----------

Aziraphale did come in that day. Crowley had been in the back when he first walked in, but when he heard the bell above the door ring, he quickly ducked to the front. Upon seeing him, Aziraphale's face lit up. "Hi Crowley!" He was practically beaming, which made the redhead's stomach take a swoop. 

Crowley leaned against the counter nonchalantly. "Hey, Zira. Will it be the usual order today?" He asked, already prepared to put in the order. The blonde nodded. "That would be great, thanks."

He went ahead and filled in the order, handing the cup off to Hastur, who nodded at him. The plan was in action. Crowley's heart was pounding in his chest. He was seriously hoping it went well, that Aziraphale wouldn't think he was too forward. The barista was distractedly trying to keep his breathing steady while he was chatting with the book fanatic. 

After a few minutes, Crowley knew that Zira's drink should have been out by then. He regretfully paused his conversation with him, tapping his pocket to make sure he had the marker, saying: "Hang on, Aziraphale. Your hot cocoa should be done by now. I'm going to go check on it."

"Oh, thank you." Aziraphale smiled brightly at him, the beauty of it nearly giving Crowley cardiac arrest. 

When he stumbled back, he was met with the shit-eating grin of both Ligur and Hastur. "Here is your man's hot cocoa." Ligur teased. 

Crowley quickly whipped his head around to make sure Aziraphale hadn't heard it. " _Don't say that when he's in here!"_ He hissed at them. That could have been disastrous. Those two really didn't know when to give it a rest.

The lanky ginger desperately tried to steady his shaking hands as he scribbled his phone number down onto the cup. Then he wrote a note: 'I think we've been friends for long enough. I wanna get to know you outside of the Middle Ground.' Then went on his way to give it to the waiting Aziraphale. He just hoped his writing was legible. 

However, as he made his way back to his front, he was met with a sight that made his skin crawl. Gabriel had taken his place at the counter, and was currently chatting it up with _Crowley's_ crush. To make things worse, they were leaning in, Gabriel had a hand on Zira's arm, and Aziraphale was laughing wholeheartedly at what he was saying. Nearly growling, Crowley rushed up next to Gabriel, ready to put a stop to whatever was going on. 

He forced his cool. "Hey, Aziraphale. I've got your drink, sorry it took so long." 

Aziraphale took the cup from his hands, frowning as he read the message. "Oh! Thank you for this, Crowley. Hold on one moment." The plump man patted his pockets, pulling out an older model of a smartphone. He tapped away at it, glancing back to the cup--- meaning he was adding Crowley's number to his phone.

"You know, it's funny you decided to give your phone number to me today," he commented idly. "Gabriel here just gave me his number too." 

This was when he really felt his blood boil. The two baristas glared at each other. It was a sporadic glare, not nearly long for Aziraphale to notice, but it was long enough for them to communicate one thing: ' _I'll kill you.'_

Crowley could see Beezlebub glaring from the corner of his eye. He shifted his head a bit more towards her. ' _Come on, Beezlebub. Get him out of here.'_ He thought, hoping she could pick up on the mind waves he was sending her. He knew she was as mad as he was. Thankfully, she got the idea.

"Gabriel! Could you come with me to my office? I need to review this month's stats with you." She barked out, but not harshly. The rest of the workers could only be so lucky. Regardless, Crowley felt part of the weight being lifted off his shoulders. He heard Gabriel sigh, clearly not wanting to go with her, but relented and turned away.

"So uh---" He coughed. "Gabriel just gave you his number?" 

Aziraphale nodded. "Oh, yes. He just slid right on over when you went back to get my drink." 

' _Bastard'_ , Crowley mentally snarled. 

But Aziraphale quickly changed the subject. "So... remember those houseplants you mentioned yesterday? I'd like to hear more about them. I didn't think you had it in you to have a green-thumb." 

Ah, yes. One of the many things Crowley liked about Aziraphale is that he always payed attention. If he learned an interest of Crowley's, he'd talk with him about it. He tried to learn more, see if he might be interested in it himself. Zira was actually interested in what _Crowley_ was interested in. That was... new.

Crowley listed off what kind of house plants he had; Peace Lilies, Aloe Vera (it might come in handy one day), and his prized rubber plant. He was surprised by the pride in his tone when he spoke about them. Then he talked about how he took care of them; how often he spritzed them with water, how he had them placed specifically based on how much sun they needed. He almost accidentally spilled the fact that he talks to his plants. But he needed something to let his anger out on. (He was also lonely, but he wouldn't admit that, even to himself.)

Crowley mentioned that his Peace Lilies had been recently given him trouble, and he couldn't figure out why. Aziraphale had added on that he might have a book with information on the plants, and that he'd look. 

Aziraphale had listened the whole time, never once breaking his attention span. Crowley felt a swell of affection in his chest rise up again. There was never a meeting with Aziraphale where he didn't feel that. He was falling further, and fast.

"So, when do you get off work?" Aziraphale asked suddenly. 

Crowley stopped in his tracks at the change of subject. "Uh, around seven tonight. Why?" 

"Oh, I just wanted to know. I didn't want to blow up your phone while you were busy working." Zira bashfully admitted. Honestly, Crowley really wouldn't have minded if he did, but the thought was very considerate. 

They wrapped up their conversation, Aziraphale sitting down for a short while to read and have his drink. However, the store had a few customers come in when he was finishing up, so Crowley was busy with them when the blonde was ready to leave. But, instead of not saying anything, the book keeper waved at him from the front, getting a small wave and a smile from Crowley. 

\--------------------------

At seven, Crowley left the Middle Ground after a long day. He was tired, a little sore. He hurried into his old Bentley, driving to his apartment as quickly as he could without getting arrested. All he wanted was to have a drink and relax. 

But as he was walking up to his apartment complex, his phone buzzed. He had an instinct to check it, so he pulled it out. It was a text from an unknown number. He unlocked the phone, clicking at the text with the hope it might be Aziraphale. 

The text read, _Hey Crowley! It's Aziraphale. I do hope you're not driving home from work when you get this. I don't want you getting into a crash trying to text me._

Crowley suddenly wasn't so tired anymore, a grin rising to his face. He quickly saved Aziraphale as a contact in his phone.

He immediately tapped out a response. He mentally roasted himself for it, ' _no chill at all.'_ But carried on anyway. 

**(Crowley):** _Hey, Zira. I actually just got to my place. What's up?_

The response from the object of Crowley's affection came in almost immediately, so he had no chill either. 

**(** **Aziraphale)** **:** _Oh, I'm just tidying the bookshop up a bit after today. I'm glad to hear you made it home safe!_

The redhead shook his head fondly at the second sentence of Aziraphale's text. This man. However, he couldn't even think of a response because another text from him rolled in.

**(Aziraphale):** _Hey, I've been meaning to ask you, would you like to see each other outside the coffee shop? You're of course welcome in my book shop anytime you'd like, but. I mean, would you want to hang out sometime?_

Crowley nearly stumbled when he read the text message, his heart going out of his chest. What was happening to him? 

**(Crowley):** _Yeah, that sounds good. Do you have anything in mind?_

He had crashed on his couch by now, waiting on standby for the text to come in.

 **(Aziraphale):** _Oh, I'm sure I can come up with something. I'll sleep on it, and talk to you about it tomorrow. Is that okay?_

That was not the end of their conversation, though. They talked for three hours, until Aziraphale wandered off to bed. Soon, they would have something planned. The question on Crowley's mind, however, was: Was this a date?  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos and Comments are greatly appreciated! It lets me know how I'm doing.  
> See y'all on July 29th!


	3. Falling from Cloud Nine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So uh. Some sad stuff goes down in this chapter. It'll get better, I swear. But-mind my language- Gabriel is a real fuckhead.  
> I thank you all so much for all your kind words on the last chapter <3 It lifts my spirits.  
> See you all here again on August 3rd!

Their meetup had been wonderful. 

The local park had scheduled a free concert with a local band. It'd been a middle ground style of music, Crowley enjoying classical rock such as Queen, while Aziraphale preferred the softer style of pop music today. 

They'd packed a picnic for the concert, which wound up having a pretty good turnout. The crowds didn't bother them, as they were just happy to be within the presence of one another. Once they were finished with their lunch, they packed everything up and headed off, walking together. The entire time, Crowley had wanted desperately to take Zira's hand in his own. 

Zira had been dressed nicely as usual, Crowley himself had cleaned up a little. During the meet-up, Crowley had unfortunately realized that it hadn't been intended as a date. Although, Crowley did try flirting, and it sort of worked. It kind of went over Aziraphale's head, but when it didn't, Aziraphale seemed to be trying to flirt back. It was all very endearing, it made Crowley's heart fly even higher. The redhead had also managed to confirm an important piece of information about the blonde- his romantic preference was men. He also left with a picture on his phone of the both of them, which may-or-may-not have been set as his screensaver immediately after Aziraphale couldn't see. Crowley was in danger, he was getting dangerously attached to Aziraphale. He felt he might be in----. No. He wasn't going to say the L word. It would get him burned. 

They parted ways eventually, but it wasn't long before his phone dinged with a text from the bookshop owner himself. Just a text from him made him grin from ear to ear. But Crowley's high was about to come crashing down around him, a certain barista wedging himself between him and Aziraphale.

While Crowley and Aziraphale were texting away, Aziraphale and Gabriel had also been chatting. 

The slightly shady barista had managed to worm some sensitive information out of Aziraphale. 

**(Aziraphale):** _Well, yes, to be forward. I have a lot of feelings for Crowley. I've had a crush on him for a long time, probably since the first time I saw him. I hope he feels the same as I do, but I don't know if he does._

Gabriel smirked to himself as he read the message. ' _Oh, he definitely feels the same. But I'm not about to let him have you.'_ His thoughts hissed as he typed out a response.

**(Gabriel):** _Oh, Aziraphale, I'm so sorry. From what I've been able to tell, Crowley has had his eye on our manager._

He sent the text, grinning devilishly. Although, the idea stung him a little bit, and he wasn't sure why. Someone going after Beelzebub? But he shook it off, going back to the matter at hand. Gabriel really was an idiot--- Crowley would rather die alone than be with Beelzebub, and Beelzebub herself was chasing after him. He began typing his next text. 

( **Gabriel):** _But, I've noticed you in the shop. Ever since you came in, I couldn't stop thinking about you. I just had to talk to you, and now that I have, I'm even more enamored. I was wondering if you'd like to go somewhere with me for lunch, or something of the sorts. A date?_

It was a few minutes before Aziraphale's response came through. Aziraphale had been processing that Crowley didn't like him like that. It really stung, even though Crowley had no obligation to like him back. But Aziraphale had really fell hard for him, he was nearly crying; it took great difficulty to hold back the tidal-wave of emotions. It's a shame he was unaware that Gabriel was lying. 

( **Aziraphale** ): _I don't know, Gabriel. I still have feelings for Crowley. I might not be able to invest myself in a relationship with someone else right now._

But Gabriel was insistent. 

( **Gabriel** ): _It'll just be one date. If it doesn't go well and you're not interested in me after, we can drop the whole thing. We'll never have to go on another one._

Aziraphale agreed. Worst comes to worst, it would go badly. Best case scenario, he'd start liking Gabriel and get over Crowley.

\---------------------------

The date with Gabriel had gone okay. Aziraphale was still thinking madly about Crowley, it never truly ceased. He was still talking with him, the book keeper wasn't about to break his friendship with him. When he'd been out with Gabriel, he had been wishing it was the beautiful ginger barista. But being with Gabriel had helped numb the pain, so he'd agreed to see him again. 

That's when Crowley had to take his fall from Cloud Nine. Aziraphale and Gabriel scheduled another date, which was scheduled at the end of Gabriel's shift with Crowley. The blonde was going to go to the Middle Ground to pick him up. Gabriel had done this on purpose, so they both could announce to the demon barista that they were dating. 

So, when Aziraphale came into the shop at 4 o'clock, it was almost painful to watch Crowley brighten, then immediately get confused when he went to Gabriel instead of him. But it was satisfying to see him crumble when Aziraphale stood on his tiptoes to kiss Gabriel's cheek. Gabriel had turned to him, whispering quietly then slipping in the back- probably to change out of his work clothes.

Meanwhile Crowley walked over carefully. "Uh, excuse me for interrupting, but could you explain what's going on?" He asked. His voice was quiet, shaken. A bit of anger to it. Neither of them had ever heard it like that before. 

"Oh! Crowley. Um. Gabriel and I here, we've started seeing each other. We scheduled a date for this evening, I said I'd come get him here." Aziraphale explained, feeling uneasy. Like he was breaking Crowley's heart by saying it. Because he was.

Just like that, Crowley's heart had been shot through. All he could do is nod, while inside it felt like his entire chest was collapsing, his legs failing to hold him up, his head spinning. Then Gabriel reappeared, asking Aziraphale: "You ready?"

When the blonde gave confirmation that he was, the other barista took his hand. Then they both turned to Crowley, and the bastard gave Crowley that horrible grin he had when he was pleased with himself. "I'll see you next shift, Crowley." He said, and waved. 

Crowley did not wave back. All he could do is stand there with his feet nailed to the ground, trying not to keel over. It wouldn't have mattered if he waved or not, as they just turned and walked away, out of his sight. 

A gentle hand grabbed at his forearm. He turned his head to see Michael, the much more bearable (but still a bit nauseating) Heaven barista swimming in his dizzy vision. "Crowley, are you okay?" 

He felt like he couldn't talk. "I... where's Beelzebub?" 

He saw her shift her gaze to the other side of him, so he followed the gaze to be met with a furious looking Beelzebub. "Right here." She growled. "I saw the whole thing."

Then, his tiny but terrifying manager looked up at him. Her gaze shifted, going from furious to slightly less furious and a bit concerned. Something seemed different about how she looked, but in Crowley's current state, he couldn't put his finger on it. "Do you need to sit down?" 

Then he swayed a bit, both Michael and Beelzebub grabbing for him. He managed to steady himself, but only barely. What was that damned book keeper doing to him? So, this is what heartbreak felt like. Crowley had forgotten. 

"I... Beelzebub, I don't think I can finish the shift." He grumbled. There was white hot pain filling his mind and his chest. He hated how weak he sounded, how weak he felt. Crowley should've known better than to fall. 

Realization seemed to flash in the manager's eyes. "Hastur and Ligur were right. You really are in lo---" 

" _Don't_ say it." Crowley hissed. 

"Okay. You're going home. Come on, I'll drive you, where are your keys? Michael, I trust you way more than Ligur and Hastur. Hold down the fort until I get back." She barked out, then- gently- pulled the dazed barista with her. 

Beelzebub had grabbed Crowley's stuff, his car keys, everything. Then she had gotten him to his beloved Bentley, depositing him in the passenger side. Crowley, when himself again, had to give her props. For someone who usually comes across as cold, she did a good job at taking care of him. 

Luckily, his manager immediately knew the apartment complex when Crowley mumbled it out, and started driving. The ride was silent, at first. Crowley was slowly coming back to what was in front of him. 

She looked over at him, judging that he was well enough to ask. "Crowley, seriously-will you be alright? I know how much you lo--- like that book keeper." 

Crowley shook his head. He felt completely battered. "I will be, eventually. But it hurts. It hurts a fucking lot. I should've known better than to climb up on cloud nine, because falling from it is the worst feeling in the world." 

Beelzebub looked over to him with a concerned expression. Crowley thought that was the most emotion he'd ever seen on her face, other than anger. "Do you know why you have such strong feelings for him? If you don't mind me asking. I mean... you and Gabriel both fell for him."

"Aziraphale. He's... _amazing._ He's so kind, to everyone he meets. He's brilliant and gets so excited about some of the smallest things. Have you _seen_ that man? He's so beautiful that sometimes it hurts my eyes to look at him. But most of all... he _listens_ to me. He knows me. He knows about what I like, he tries to relate to me. You know how I told him about my houseplants? He literally sat down and read a book about them just so he could chat about them with me. Sometimes he asks me if I'm okay, for _no reason!_ Just because I look a little distressed, or if I'm quieter than normal. Nobody has ever really payed any attention to me, but him? He cares about me. It's been a long time since I've been able to say that someone did. And now, I'm going to have to watch him devote all his time to someone else." Crowley had really started to get choked with emotion at this point, to the point where he'd started crying quietly. Was this really happening today? First, he gets heartbroken and now he's crying in front of his manager. 

Beelzebub was quiet for a minute. "If it's any solace, I think I understand a bit of how you're feeling. Gabriel... you know I have feelings for him. I think everyone has caught on but him!" She rolled her eyes, exasperated. "He's the only one who actually sees me, you know? I don't know if you remember, but about two months ago, I was being more of a bitch than usual. I was going through a bad depression spell." Crowley was taken aback by this information, he had no idea Beelzebub dealt with depression.

She gives a small snort. "And one Monday, Gabriel just knocks at my front door, showing up at my house. He lets himself in, he brought snacks with him and everything. He just drops them on my coffee table, then turns on my t.v., makes me sit down with him. We spent the whole day watching sitcoms." Crowley watches her face turn softer at the pleasant memory, then go sad.

"He came just to try to help me feel more like myself again. He knew what I needed. He sees me, and I see him. I already kind of liked him before that, but that was the rock that truly tripped me. But even then... I don't like Gabriel as much as you like Aziraphale. So I'm sorry. But I do kind of get it. I'm hurt, too. Gabriel choosing someone he barely knows over me." 

There they were, two sad idiots who had been defeated. One of the layers of ice that had been between Crowley and Beelzebub had been broken, though. 

Beelzebub's speech had gotten them through the rest of the ride to Crowley's apartment. He got out of the car with her, them both entering the complex. They got to his apartment door, the redhead just barely holding himself together at this point. He opened the door, letting his manager in. She made a beeline for his kitchen, to which Crowley was confused about. She flipped through his cabinets, clearly looking for something. The barista just let it happen. 

The raven-haired woman finally found what she was looking for, a water glass. She filled it at the sink, placing it down on the counter as she rifled through her bag. "Okay, I can't stay, I've got to get back to the shop. But I don't know if you keep pain medication, so I'm leaving two advils in case you get a headache from all the emotions. It happens. Call or text me if something seriously goes wrong." She turns past him to walk out, but then turns back.

"Crowley." He turns to look back at her. His manager points threateningly at him. "Don't do anything stupid, okay? You're one of my employees, I actually like the crew as it is and I'm not gonna be happy if I have to go hiring another barista." 

But the ginger knew it was about more than the fact that he was an employee. He'd seen a new side of Beelzebub today. Crowley guessed he could add Beelzebub to the list of people who actually cared a little about him. That list now contained two people.

But then she left, he was alone again. Nothing to distract him from the pain that was currently flooding his chest again. He quickly fumbled in his kitchen, pulling a bottle of whiskey from his liquor cabinet. He generally liked to sip on wine, but had whiskey for times like these. He poured a shot, downing it in one go. He went to pour another one, but stopped before the liquid could hit the glass. 

This wouldn't help anything. When he woke up, he would remember everything _and_ be hungover. Either that, or die of alcohol poisoning. That almost sounded like a good idea. Dejectedly sighing, he tossed the shot glass into the sink, putting away the whiskey. He passed by his house plants, not even looking at them or their condition. The heartbroken redhead simply went to his room, letting himself melt spinelessly into his bed. He threw his phone away from him. Then, Crowley felt the tell-tale sign of tears pushing at his eyes, the closing of his throat. He angrily pulled the sheets over his head as he started to cry, hoping sleep would come to him quickly.  
  
  
  



	4. Lighting the Match

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter features Crowley dealing with his emotions while trying to maintain his friendship with Zira, development of Gabriel and Beelzebub's relationship, and Gabriel again being a shithead. :)  
> Crowley I'm sorry for doing this too you XD  
> Next update, August 8th, I believe :)

Crowley had fallen asleep, with some difficulty. It didn't last though, because he was awoken by the buzzing of his phone. His chest still felt heavy, he was groggy, but he didn't feel like he was about to cry. So that was an improvement. He fumbled as he grabbed his phone off his nightstand, squinting at the bright light. 

Upon seeing the contact name, the flood immediately came rushing back. Aziraphale. A text from Beelzebub had also come in, so he decided to read that first. 

( **Beelzebub):** _Don't worry about work tomorrow. I'm giving you tomorrow to adjust. Try to pull yourself together._

A very faint smile rose on his lips. Beelzebub wasn't so bad after all. Crowley quickly sent out a thanks.

He hesitantly clicked the message that was sent from the blonde book keeper. It had been four hours since the initial incident.

**(Aziraphale)** : _Hey, Crowley. Are you all right? You seemed shaky when I saw you._

Crowley almost threw the phone back down. He almost didn't answer him. But he didn't have the heart to ignore him, didn't want to run the risk of Aziraphale worrying about him. So, he opted for a short answer. 

**(Crowley)** : _I'm okay. Just not feeling well._

It technically wasn't a lie. He wasn't feeling well at all. He was missing half of his heart at the moment, the man he was currently talking to had stolen it, and he wanted it back.

**(Aziraphale)** : _Oh, I'm so sorry, my dear. I hope you'll feel okay soon._

Crowley's heart jolted at the use of 'my dear'. Turns out that his heart was just broken, not numb---yet. Aziraphale really shouldn't be calling him that. Another text from the book keeper came in.

**(Aziraphale)** : _I'm sorry I didn't stay to chat. I should've, but Gabriel had been quick to get out of there. I hope you're not angry about that, I wasn't trying to ignore you._

Crowley shook his head. He felt fury rolling out in his stomach, but he forced it down. It wasn't the blonde's fault. He owed Crowley nothing, didn't have to return his feelings. It was Crowley's fault for getting attached.

 **(Crowley)** : _It's fine, Zira. I understand._

He left it at that. He placed his phone on silent, leaving it face down on the nightstand, then turned over, dropping off to sleep again.

When he woke, sunlight was creeping into his bedroom window. Groaning, he rolled over to check the time. It was eleven a.m., and Crowley knew he should get up, despite not wanting too. 

He grabbed his phone, not bothering to check it. He had a headache, so he was quite grateful for the pain medication Beezlebub had left him yesterday. He took it, downing the entire glass of water with the pills. Then he went back to his bedroom, dragging his blankets off to take them with him. 

He wandered into his living room, in which just a leather sofa, a modern television and his houseplants sat. He curled up on the sofa, wrapping himself in his blankets before turning on the t.v., allowing the sound to fill the empty house. 

He reluctantly turned on his phone. He was not surprised to see messages from Aziraphale, but what he was surprised about was the amount of them. Five of them. Three from yesterday, one from early this morning and one from only thirty minutes ago. Sighing heavily, he began to read them.

( **Aziraphale** ): _Still, I feel bad. You're one of my dearest friends, I shouldn't have blown you off like that._

( **Aziraphale** ): _How unwell are you, Crowley? I want to see you again soon._

**(Aziraphale)** : _Well, I'm about to fall asleep, so if you answer me but I don't respond, I'm not ignoring you. Just so you know._

 **(Aziraphale)** : _Crowley, I'm starting to worry about you. You haven't answered me at all last night, except for two texts. Are you sure you're not mad at me?_

**(Aziraphale)** _: So I just dropped by the Middle Ground looking for you, Gabriel told me you hadn't come in. Do I need to come find you? I actually know quite a lot about remedies for illnesses._

Aziraphale was going to wind up breaking Crowley completely. Why was he so concerned about him? ' _He should be focused on Gabriel_.' Crowley thought with an eye-roll before cringing. That wasn't fair to Zira. But he's never had feelings this intense for anyone before. Why now? Why the book keeper?

Forcing himself to breathe, he began to type out a response. 

( **Crowley** ): _Sorry, Zira. I fell back to sleep. I didn't mean to worry you. Beelzebub decided to let me off today. I'm fine, and no, I'm not mad._

That was a lie. He was mad, but not specifically at the blonde. What he wouldn't give to ring Gabriel's neck, though. This was going to take the auburn-haired man a long time to recover from. _Especially_ since Aziraphale would be visiting the shop now to see Gabriel instead of him. 

He glanced at his houseplants, sighing at their wilting leaves. Grumbling, he grabbed at the spritz bottle and misted them. While he was doing that, his phone buzzed with another text from Aziraphale that had come in as if he'd been waiting by the phone. (He was.) Aziraphale had noticed Crowley had suddenly turned a bit colder, judging by his texts. The shop owner was feeling uneasy because of it. He knew he'd upset Crowley on accident, but had no idea how.

Meanwhile at the Middle Ground, Gabriel was also facing the cold shoulder from Beelzebub. He came in a bit early, knowing the small manager would be there already. He liked going in early sometimes, so it would just be the two of them for a little while before the rest of the goons got there. 

He went in through the backdoor, a spring in his step after seeing Aziraphale yesterday. He found Beelzebub just like he expected. The black-haired woman was going around, taking stock, documenting what they had as well as what they needed to order. He smiled a little, fondly. She was always working hard. 

"Hey, Beez." He started. He only used that nickname when they were alone, he didn't dare use it during normal work hours. 

"Good morning." She said lowly. She didn't even look up at him. 

The angelic barista furrowed his eyebrows. Something was wrong. "Are you okay?" 

"I'm fine." She replied. Still no eye contact. No trace of a smile. Nothing. She turned away, likely going to do something with the machines but Gabriel caught her by the shoulder. He felt her tense under his hand, which made his stomach go cold. He really hoped she wasn't going through another depression spell. 

"Hey, no. Something's off." Gabriel insisted. 

She turned around, brushing his hand off in the process. Light blue eyes rose to meet his, Beelzebub taking a step back upon seeing how close in proximity they were. Gabriel was slightly offended, she had never done that before. 

"I'm telling you, nothing's wrong. I'm fine." She assured, then turned and left.

She was _not_ fine. 

All day she was avoiding him. Normally, she'd hang around him, lean into him, muttering something about how another employee was being an idiot. Or something that would make him laugh. But not today. Today, she hung around Crowley. He picked up on them occasionally muttering about something together (it was about him and Aziraphale, but the angel barista was unaware of that fact). What Beelzebub was doing bothered Gabriel more than it should have. It hurt him more than it should have. 

Crowley was doing everything he could to avoid any contact with Gabriel. If that bastard said one word to him, his fist might go cracking the bones in his face. When he came into work, he learned that Beelzebub was also avoiding him. She'd stuck around by him today, muttering things. With this information, he made sure to keep an eye on Gabriel, whom he'd caught glancing at Beelzebub worriedly. 

However, the fun really began once he saw Aziraphale walk out of his shop, hurriedly heading across the street, right for the coffee shop. Beelzebub saw him too, quickly offering to take his stand at the register. 

Gratefully, he ducked in the back to wait it out. He heard the bell above the door chime, almost holding his breath. His heart very nearly stopped when he heard the blonde at the register, asking: "Hi, is Crowley in? I thought I saw him in just before." 

Beelzebub came back with a slightly apologetic expression. "He's asking for you by name." 

He closed his eyes, screwing up his face and uttering out: "Shit." Then he took a deep breath, quickly preparing himself to face the blonde who had stolen his heart. 

It physically hurt to watch Zira's whole face lift and brighten upon seeing Crowley turn around the corner. The ginger trudged on with his pounding heartbeat, his panicking mind. 

"Crowley! I'm glad to see you well." Aziraphale smiled at him, making his stomach flip over. "Well" wasn't an accurate word for it, but what could he do?

"I told you I was okay." The barista lied. "What can I get for you?" He kept it short as possible while trying to play it cool. As much as he didn't want too, he had to distance himself from the book keeper. 

Aziraphale's eyebrows furrowed. "Oh, just the usual. But, I came in here to see you. I haven't seen you in a few days, which feels weird. I missed you." 

Crowley felt a pang in his chest. He didn't know what to say. Luckily, Aziraphale barreled on. "I want to hang out again. I think I texted you about that."

"Oh yeah. Did you have something in mind?" He wanted to punch himself for enabling the situation, the redhead knew it wasn't smart, but he couldn't say no to Zira. Not when he was looking at him with his careful gaze and soft smile. 

"I remember you telling me that besides your plants, you were interested in art, paintings. You seemed to know a lot about Leonardo da Vinci." It was true, Crowley had a replica sketch of the Mona Lisa hanging in his apartment. It was one of the only pieces of decoration he had. "The National Gallery isn't far from here, I think you might enjoy it. I love history, so I'd like to see it too."

Crowley heard himself agreeing before he could process the thought. They set up a day---Tuesday at two in the afternoon. Crowley had been defeated again, there was no getting out of it. They chatted for a bit before Gabriel caught Aziraphale's attention. It wasn't long before he had the blonde going over to him. Sighing sadly, he ducked in the back. He wasn't really needed on register duty at the moment. 

Beelzebub came over while he was busying himself with drinks. "So he roped you into seeing him again? Despite the fact that he's... dating Gabriel." Her tone grew darker at her last words. Normally Crowley would be alarmed, and he was a little for the book keeper, but at least the ginger wasn't in danger. He nearly rolled his eyes. Beelzebub truly only knew so much due to Ligur and Hastur's gossiping. Those two had their own thing worth gossiping about, they should lay of Crowley's situation.

"Uh, yeah. We're going to the National Gallery this upcoming Tuesday." He admitted. 

His manager shook her head at him. "That's not healthy for you." 

He knew it wasn't. "He's one of my only friends. As much as I want to get over him, I'm not trying to burn the whole friendship. I can't tell him no. I wanted too. It's like I literally lose my ability to say no." 

He saw her face change, containing the smallest of smirks. "You've got it bad. Gabriel was glaring daggers at you the whole time you were talking to his boyfriend." 

The title 'boyfriend' made Crowley want to be sick. "Well in my defense, I didn't ask him to hang out. He asked me. We're friends." Just friends. 

\---------------------

Tuesday rolled around way before Crowley was ready for it. Aziraphale had been like an angel landing into his life, but this angel was unknowingly ruining his life. Crowley had literally spent time researching artists that were featured in the National Gallery, then researched those artists to make small talk about them. Who was he becoming?

At one-fifty-five, he stopped in front of the bookshop. He wasn't about to leave his Bentley on the side of the road for someone to accidentally scratch. He stood outside waiting, not sure if he should go in or not. His nerves were really kicking in, taking his stomach for a playground. 

Aziraphale popped his head out the front door upon seeing Crowley waiting. "Crowley! Hi. What're you doing? Please, come inside. I just have something I need to finish up, then we can be off."

Still hesitant, he followed Zira into his bookshop. Once he crossed over the threshold, he was hit with a feeling of home. Which was odd, considering he'd never been inside this place in his life. However, as he looked around, that feeling got stronger. Candles were lit here and there, it was warm inside. Books, some new, but some very old, were stockpiled all about the place. The smell of tea lingered in the air. The space had a very strong presence to it, making it clear that there was a lot of time spent in it and that it was well-loved.

Zira was just inputting a few book titles into an older-looking computer system. Crowley almost opened his mouth to suggest getting a newer model, but then snapped it closed. If it worked for him, let it be. 

"Sorry, this will only take a second." The blonde looked over at him, seeming as if he felt like he was being a burden. 

Crowley shook his head immediately. "No, take your time. Don't worry, I don't have much to do today." 

He watched Aziraphale nod, but saw his eyes sparkle in interest. That was not a good sign. 

\---------------

Touring the museum with Aziraphale was wonderful, at first. They'd paced themselves slowly, making sure to see everything in each room. If one of them knew information about the artist, they'd talk about them for a little while before moving on. Aziraphale had taken to holding onto Crowley's arm, both hands wrapped around his bicep while they walked. The thin man's stomach had dropped when the blonde had first grabbed it.

But then things went South. They'd both heard a familiar voice echo behind them. "Hey!! There you are!"

It made Crowley's hands curl into fists. What was he doing here? They turned around, Aziraphale dropping his hands from Crowley's arm. The said ginger was suddenly feeling cold after.

"Gabriel! Um, what are you doing here, dear?" Aziraphale asked, blatantly confused. So Aziraphale _hadn't_ planned this. It made Crowley feel just a tad bit better.

"Oh, well, I wanted to see you. I heard you make plans with Crowley. I hope I'm not imposing?" He asked, looking innocent towards Aziraphale, but glancing up at Crowley, who saw through it all. For Zira, he held himself together.

"Oh... No. Not at all. Crowley, you don't mind if he stays, do you?" Aziraphale looked back at him for approval.

He did. He definitely did. But Aziraphale's gaze turned him into putty. He sighed, letting out: "No. It's fine."

So Crowley spent the rest of the day third-wheeling on what was supposed to be just a thing for him and Aziraphale. In the museum, Gabriel had taken Zira under his arm, pulling him away from Crowley. There would be no more affection for him. Anytime Aziraphale would turn his attention back to Crowley, Gabriel would go and steal it back. He just wanted to go home. He was debating just slipping away, but unfortunately Aziraphale seemed to call for him whenever he might linger too far from him.

Seeing as Aziraphale was preoccupied, he nabbed his phone from his pocket, shooting a text to Beelzebub.

**(Crowley):** _So, we get to the_ _museum_ _and everything is great. I'm enjoying myself despite the situation_ _at_ _hand. Then_ _guess_ _who decides to show up? Gabriel himself. Now_ _I'm_ _third-wheeling._

Beelzebub doesn't take long to respond, it's a one word reply but Crowley gets a kick out of it.

**(Beelzebub):** _Bastard._

Bastard indeed.

As the day went on, he found himself growing more and more pissed off. After the museum, Aziraphale had dragged him into dinner. Why had he agreed to go on this again? It would have been fine if Gabriel hadn't invited himself.

At the end of dinner, Aziraphale turned his attention to Crowley. Well, that was a lie. He made it apparent that he was paying attention to him. Aziraphale was good at watching people without them catching on, it was a part of his business. He could tell Crowley was agitated by Gabriel's appearance. It was supposed to be something for them and them only, now Aziraphale hadn't gotten to be with Crowley nearly as much as he wanted too. He supposed the thin man had just kept his mouth shut to make Zira happy, which was the case. Gabriel should have asked, but now that he's here, Zira couldn't exactly tell him to leave.

"Crowley, is there anywhere else you'd like to go?" He asked, hoping that it would make up for the events of the day.

However, Crowley misinterpreted the intention of the blonde's doe eyes. He took it as a plea for him to leave, but it would have been a common mistake. Who wants their friend hanging around when they're with their significant other?

It stung, but that had already been established. All of it hurt.

"No, no. Just home. I suppose you'll want me out of your hair, anyway." He said, shrugging his shoulders like he didn't care.

Aziraphale opened his mouth to argue against it. He wanted Crowley to stay. But Gabriel had decided to speak his mind. "That would be nice, actually. Let Zira and I here have some alone time, you know."

Alone time? They'd practically been alone all day. Crowley had faded into the background. The redhead gritted his teeth, angry now. Wounded. When Aziraphale saw the grinding of his jaw, he felt terrible. This was supposed to be a nice outing.

"Yeah. I guess so. Have fun." He told them, the words tossed at Gabriel. He'd never do anything out of anger towards Aziraphale. Then, he stood up, saying his goodbyes to Aziraphale, then walked to get his Bentley alone. The blonde watched him walk away with sad eyes.

On his drive home, he felt droplets falling down his cheeks. He couldn't tell if they were coming from his anger or his sadness. He couldn't do this.


	5. Mislead and Misunderstood

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I know this was supposed to be posted yesterday, it totally slipped my mind. So sorry guys :( But here's the chapter! A character will be unmasked. ;) See y'all on the 12th!

It was around ten at night when his phone buzzed with a text.

 **(Aziraphale):** _Crowley,_ _I'm_ _so_ _sorry_ about today. _About Gabriel._ _I_ _know_ _you're_ _not happy, I_ _swear_ _I_ _had_ _no idea he was coming._

Sighing sadly, he typed out a response to soothe the book keeper. He was mad, but not at him.

 **(Crowley)** : _It's okay. I_ _know_ _you_ _didn't_ _plan it. Shit happens._

**(Aziraphale):** _No it's not okay. It was supposed to be a_ _thing_ _for you_ _and_ _I. The day got ruined by my boyfriend and I_ _didn't_ _tell him off like I should have._ _I did you a disservice._

Crowley snorted at the use of 'disservice'. Yeah, he'd had a shitty time. But it wasn't Zira's fault. Aziraphale was stressing over it and Crowley didn't like that one bit.

 **(Crowley)** : _Disservice, Zira? I_ _wouldn't_ _go that far. I'll be honest, I am mad._ _But_ _not at you._ _It's_ _not like you invited him_ _without_ _telling me. He just decided himself_ _that_ _he'd_ _come._

**(Aziraphale):** _That's_ _true, but still. I_ _dragged_ _you out on your day off, then I_ _didn't_ _even pay_ _much_ _attention to_ _you._

Ouch. That message hurt a little.

**(Aziraphale):** _But_ _I want to make it up to you. If_ _you_ _want, we_ _could_ _do_ _whatever you want to do. Whenever._ _Just_ _say the word._

Crowley stared at the message for a moment. It was tempting, but it'd probably get ruined again. He reluctantly typed a reply.

( **Crowley):** _It sounds tempting, but I_ _don't_ _think_ _Gabriel_ _likes_ _you hanging out with me._

Crowley knew that had a risk of making Zira upset, it wasn't his intention but it was the truth. So if the blonde didn't reply, he wouldn't be surprised. Instead, a text came through within ten seconds.

**(Aziraphale):** _I_ _don't_ _care._

\-------------------

They hung out a week later. But it was more coincidental than anything. Aziraphale had texted him at work, and Crowley had been intrigued. He carefully pulled it out, guarding it from any prying eyes.

**(Aziraphale):** _Hey. Does the_ _Middle_ _Ground have any special teas?_

**(Crowley):** _This is England, Zira. Of course we have teas. That isn't your usual drink, though._

**(Aziraphale):** _I'm aware of that, dear. I'm feeling quite under the weather, and I wondered if you might have anything a little stronger than my regular tea. I can just quickly pop over and grab it._

**(Crowley):** _No, don't leave the house if you don't feel good. Gabriel would probably hold you up here. I get off in about an hour, I can bring it to you if you want?_

**(Aziraphale):** _That would be lovely if it's no trouble. I can give you the money when you get here. If you want, you can use the backdoor._

Crowley had a feeling Aziraphale wanted him to use the backdoor specifically, but he was unsure as to why.

**(Crowley):** _Don't worry about payment. It's on the house, well--- more like me. But._

After sending the final text, he had to put his phone away. Beelzebub was being a little more lenient on him, but he'd better not push the limits. The last hour of his shift was one of the longest hours he'd ever been spent at the cafe.

Finally, quitting time rolled around. But instead of just grabbing his stuff like usual, he went back to the drink machines, shifting around for the ginger tea. He rarely made them, but he figured it might be up to Aziraphale's tea. He was much more careful with the making of it than he'd be with a usual order; this one was special.

Once the ginger tea was finished, lemon with honey squeezed into it, he quietly grabbed his stuff, slipping out. He jumped in the Bentley, driving past the bookshop and parking it around the corner so it couldn't be seen from The Middle Ground.

He hurried down the sidewalk, trying to use the crowd to cover him. He slipped in the alley way between A.Z. Fell and Co and a boutique, searching for the backdoor Zira had mentioned. He did find it, but it was locked when he tried to open it. So, he called the book keeper, hoping it wouldn't be too much of a bother.

After two rings, he picked up. "Hello?"

"Hey, Zira. I'm out by the backdoor like you said. I have your tea." Crowley said.

"Oh! It's locked, isn't it? Hold on, I'll be down in a moment." Aziraphale's voice sounded slightly scratchy. From what the redhead could hear, it sounded like he was getting up. But he stayed on the line, until the door opened. Then, they hung up.

Aziraphale didn't look much different, except for the fact that he was dressed down into a white t-shirt and flannel pajama bottoms (which were baby blue). Crowley felt his heart catch in his throat at the sight. He did note however that Zira looked less energetic than usual, tired.

The snowy-blonde smiled at him, stepping aside to let him inside. "Please, come in."

Crowley followed him in, shutting the door carefully behind him.

"Sorry to make you use the backdoor," Aziraphale started. "I just, didn't want Gabriel to notice from across the street. Give him ideas."

The ginger was taken aback by the explanation, but he didn't comment on it. He just followed as Aziraphale led him upstairs. "Would you stay for a while?" He asked softly.

The barista in question raised his eyebrows, replying back: "If you want me too."

The pair had reached the top of the stairs by then, Zira looking back at him; blinking with a soft, undecipherable expression. "Of course I want you too. I wouldn't have asked if I didn't, dear."

Crowley was going to respond, but nothing came to mind. So he just blinked back, smiling just a little while nodding. The blonde led the rest of the way, bringing him to a cozy den. A plush cream-colored sofa was in the center of the room, across from a television on the wall. End-tables were on both sides of the sofa, books stacked on both of them. The t.v. was rumbling quietly with some nature documentary. It made Crowley smile fondly. It was fitting.

Zira sat down on the couch, warm tea in his hands, the ginger followed his lead. They had a little small-talk at first, the blonde commenting about how the tea was delicious, thanking Crowley for bringing it.

"Oh." Zira went after a few minutes, reaching out for the remote. "What would you like to watch? I don't care much for t.v., so I'll put on whatever you like."

Crowley thought for a minute. Truth be told, he didn't watch much television either. But he was fond of the show The Office. It was entertaining if he was bored enough, so he suggested that.

Indifferent, Aziraphale typed it into the search bar on Netflix, pulling up an episode. It wasn't long before they were both melting like jello into the couch. They subconsciously shifted closer, Zira's leg somehow crossing over Crowley's while they talked about the characters, their relationships. Aziraphale seemed particularly fond of Jim and Pam.

As the day went on, Crowley found himself falling even more for the book keeper. How was it possible? He didn't know. He was growing soft.

\--------------

A month. A month had passed of Aziraphale and Gabriel dating. The blonde still came in three times a week, but now he went for Gabriel, planting a short kiss in greeting on the angel barista's lips. It killed part of Crowley every time. He'd always talk to Crowley for a little but then get distracted by Gabriel.

Beelzebub took mercy on him when she could, summoning him to work in the back. Aziraphale and Crowley began to talk less, it was killing them both.

Aziraphale was very put off by the whole situation. Gabriel was getting in the way and Crowley was acting _weird._ He was stand-offish, keeping things short with him and disappearing whenever he was in the cafe. He was still sweet to him when they did speak, he still answered his texts. But it seemed the ginger was avoiding him. The blonde suspected his relationship with Gabriel was interfering with their close friendship, and it was making Aziraphale uneasy.

The 'Hellish' Barista seemed sad, too. Exhausted. His sagging shoulders, sighs, the eye-bags did not go unnoticed. Aziraphale was really beginning to worry, and he was going to get to the bottom of it. Zira didn't like confrontation, he tried to avoid is whenever possible, but he deemed it absolutely necessary this time.

So he made his way to the Middle Ground, hurriedly walking across the street. To his frustration, Crowley was not at the registers. He knew the auburn-haired barista was working today. Gabriel was at the registers, but he didn't go to him, though. He went straight to the man on the other side's register, he believed his name was Ligur? That wasn't important at the moment.

"Hi, I know that you know I'm looking for Crowley. I know that he's here. Could you please get him for me? I would be most thankful." Aziraphale cut straight to the point. This was an urgent matter.

Ligur looked taken aback, but nodded and turned anyway. A moment later, Crowley turned around with an expression similar to a deer's when caught in headlights. Aziraphale wanted to quell his anxiety, but he had to figure out what the problem was first.

"Hey, Zira." Crowley started lamely, faking a smile that the blonde could see straight through.

Aziraphale smiled gently at him, which seemed to put the other just a bit more at ease. "Hi, dear. We need to talk."

The ginger visibly swallowed. Anxious thoughts were creeping in. Had he somehow found out about Crowley's feelings? Or had he come to break off their friendship because Gabriel wanted him too?

He forced it down. "What do you want to talk about?" He asked, dropping any act of trying to play it cool. Forcing his guard down, because Zira likely needed him too.

"I... I know you've been avoiding me. I don't know why, but I want too. You're very important to me." The snowy blonde sighed, he couldn't possibly explain how much. He feared he had fallen in love with the man in front of him, which was torture. But he would be dammed before he let something ruin his friendship with him. He lowered his voice when saying the next bit. "It seems ever since I started seeing Gabriel, things between you and I have changed. Does.... does my relationship with him make you uncomfortable?"

A sudden feeling of horror washed over him. "It's---" He hesitated. "It's not because we're both men, right?"

The same feeling of horror was reflected back at him in Crowley's expression, his eyebrows raising as high as they could go, his eyes widening. "What!? No! It's not because you're---" The redhead sighed, closing his eyes and rubbing at his forehead. "Zira, it's definitely not that. It'd be pretty hypocritical of me, to say the least. I'm bisexual."

It was Aziraphale's turn to be surprised. "Oh! Oh. I almost just--- okay. Thank you for trusting me with that." He started, then got back to the matter at hand. "So then... what is it that's making you run from me? I don't care what it is, I just want to know so we can fix this."

Crowley looked at him, his expression going raw for a minute, eyes searching. He looked as if he was going to say something, but then his eyes moved, and he quickly shut up. That's when the voice of Gabriel rang through. "Oh, Aziraphale! You can't tell me you haven't figured it out already. Don't be an idiot."

The insult made Crowley angry. Didn't Gabriel realize how lucky he was to be with Aziraphale, the angel of a man? "Don't talk to him like that!" He growled.

Gabriel looked at him mockingly. "Oh! Protective, are we?"

Now Aziraphale was starting to get defensive. Something was clearly going on. "Gabriel, what do you mean? Haven't figured out what?"

Crowley looked like he was about to pass out, but he was giving Gabriel a glare that seemed to say: "Don't. You. Dare."

But Gabriel dismissed it, taking the blonde under his arm. "You see, sweetheart--- Crowley here has been carrying quite the torch for you for a long time. I believe he's been crushing on you since the first day he saw you. When you started coming in here, that torch turned into a wildfire. But then we started dating, and he can't handle it."

It was as if time slowed once Aziraphale comprehended what Gabriel was saying. So, learning the fact that Crowley had feelings for him was like being hit with a freight-train, but not in a bad way. However, he began to turn angry--- not at Crowley. By telling him this, Gabriel was also telling him that he _knew_ that they both had feelings for each other, and he lied to Aziraphale because he wanted him.

He ripped himself away from Gabriel, but the first thing that came out of his mouth was: "I... you. You told me he had a thing for Beelzebub!"

Crowley had turned pale by this point, but his eyebrows still raised in reaction before they immediately went back down in anger. "He did _what?_ " He hissed. He was getting some of his attitude back, despite the fact that he was absolutely petrified.

Aziraphale nodded, frantically pulling out his phone. He opened his message chain from Gabriel, scrolling up a far bit to find the messages. "Look." The snowy blonde said determinedly, handing the thin man his phone. As he read, Crowley's eyebrows furrowed, his grip tightening on the phone. He let out a near growl, glancing at Gabriel with a look that might kill.

"Okay, first of all, I would never, ever like Beelzebub like that. No offense to her, I've recently learned that she's great. But no way in Hell would I ever be interested in her!"

Crowley was barreling on now, his anxiety really swirling. He couldn't control his words, his voice was breaking. He was becoming hysterical on top of his anger. "Besides, even if I did, which I don't, she already likes you, moron! Why? I don't know, all I can see is that you're an asshole. But she does."

The Heavenly Barista was now dumbfounded, while Crowley was freaking out even more. _'Beelzebub is going to kill me.'_ He thought in the back of his mind. How could he diverge this?

"I... Beez likes me?" Gabriel asked, dazed. Then he internally cringed at himself. Beelzebub's cold behavior to him suddenly made a lot more sense.

Meanwhile, Crowley's mind was practically screaming. But underneath all that chaos, he felt a careful hand cover his own, squeezing at it softly. He looked down to be met with kind blue eyes. Eyes that belonged to Aziraphale.

"Crowley. Anthony. What Gabriel said... is it true?" He asked.

The redhead in question squeezed his eyes shut. There was no use in lying to him now. As he opened his eyes, a traitorous tear slipped out of them. "It is, angel. I'm sorry."

With the confession, he felt his stomach drop. All the noise in his mind quieted to a single word: " **Run**."

So he did. He bolted back from the counter, slamming back into one of the machines. He'd worry about Beelzebub, but she was already going to kill him. He fled, not even bothering to grab for his things. Nothing mattered at the moment, except for finding somewhere safe.

In the background, Ligur and Hastur glanced at each other. They found themselves concerned for their coworker, but at the same time, this was going to make for the gossip story of the century.

Aziraphale didn't know where Crowley was going, but he knew that he was going to follow after him. There was no way he would let him slip through his fingertips now. However, there was one last thing he had to do before he gave chase.

He turned, smacking Gabriel hard in the arm. "How dare you? You lied to me, nearly costed me my friendship with Crowley, and if you hadn't said anything just now, I might've lost the opportunity of a life time. We're through, Gabriel."

However, Gabriel didn't seem 100% interested in what Aziraphale was saying. He was watching Beelzebub, the poor manager who was standing frozen in the middle of what just happened.

Zira leaned over the counter to get her attention. It was bad manners, but manners were not his priority. "Miss, I don't know where Crowley went. But I need to find him. Do you have records of his address?"

Slowly, she nodded. She said, "I do. I can type his address into your GPS system." She stopped for a moment, then asked. "Did... Did he just tell Gabriel about my feelings for him?"

The book keeper nodded guiltily, even though it wasn't his fault. "I'm afraid he did." The poor woman's eyes widened, but then she shook it off.

"Here. If you give me your phone, I can type in his address. I'm almost 100% positive he went home."

He did as she asked, and within a minute he had Crowley's home address and directions to it. It wasn't far from here. They were going to sort this out.


	6. Catching One Another

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The moment we've all been waiting for is here!! :) Only one chapter left :( I'm sort of really sad this is almost over. Everyone has been so kind and it makes me so happy to be putting stuff out there. On the bright side, I have a oneshot coming soon. It's a separate thing from this fic, but I like it a lot. This work is likely not going to be my last work for Ineffable Husbands, and possibly the same for Ineffable Bureaucracy (I always have such trouble spelling that smh).  
> See y'all on the 17th!!

Crowley had gone home. He nearly crashed his beloved Bentley in his frantic state, trying in vain not to cry. He had no idea what was going to happen now, would Zira stop talking to him? Would he hate him? 

Everything was crashing down all over again. Would Crowley have it in him to face the snowy-haired book keeper that he adored so much? Nothing would be the same after this. Not only was the man more-or-less the love of his life, he was also his best friend. Crowley swore under his breath. He should have never let himself fall in love.

Once he pulled up to his apartment complex, he haphazardly parked the Bentley, rushing inside, keeping his head down to hide himself. The elevator ride was excruciatingly slow. When he finally got to his flat, he unlocked the door and nearly collapsed once inside. 

His fearful thoughts were relentless, the auburn-haired man was on the brink of a total nervous breakdown. He stumbled to the liquor cabinet; pouring a shot of vodka, downing it in an instant. It burned his throat. He didn't even like vodka, but was desperate for something to take the edge off. But then he stopped. Even if Aziraphale hated him now, he wouldn't want this for him. Just imagining Zira's face looking sadly at him made his heart freeze up.

He shoved the bottle of alcohol back with the shot glass. He dragged himself to the living room, collapsing face down into his leather sofa. He didn't have the energy to bring himself to his bedroom. Part of him wished lightning would just come and strike him. He also observed that he should probably get more comfortable furniture. 

His chest felt like it had been shot through, even though he hadn't really been rejected. Not to his face. He ran because he couldn't take what he knew was coming. He was having trouble breathing and his head was starting to hurt, his eyes were dried out from crying. Crowley wasn't sure if he'd ever truly recover from this. He couldn't stop seeing Aziraphale's expression. The feel of his hand gently wrapped over his own. Those blue eyes gently pulling the truth out from him. 

Just as the tears started pushing at the back of his already irritated eyes, a knock sounded at the door. Crowley groaned in annoyance. What could that possibly be? He quickly quieted, hoping that if he ignored it, whoever it was would go away. However, the person was not at all discouraged. The knocking got even more persistent, it would not cease. It seemed there would be no way of getting out of answering the door. Whoever it was seemed to know he was home.

He sauntered over to the door-the action taking more energy than it should have-with the full intent of sending the person away immediately. However, when he opened the door, he completely froze with his jaw dropped. There stood Aziraphale, looking stressed out, but upon seeing Crowley, his gaze turned warm. "Hi. Could I come in so we could talk, dear?" 

Crowley was dumbfounded, he felt his panicked thoughts shoot up again, but he nodded anyway. The thin man stepped aside, motioning for him to come in. He'd do anything Zira asked of him at that point, even if it was asking him to stay away from him. It would hurt him more than anything, but he'd do it.

Crowley tried to speak, but his throat was dry. He swallowed and tried again. "Uh. We could sit in the living room if you'd like. Or we can use the kitchen table. Sofa might be more comfortable though." He dawdled. 

The blonde nodded kindly. "The sofa would be wonderful." 

Aziraphale saw the sofa from the entry-way, leading the way. He sat down on the left side, Crowley sat on the right. They faced one another, just looking at each other for a moment before the blonde reached out, carefully taking Crowley's hand in his. The redhead in turn felt his heart nearly stop. 

Aziraphale cut right to the chase. "Crowley... why did you run?" 

Crowley swallowed. He supposed there was no use in hiding the truth now. Aziraphale already knew the big secret he'd been trying to hide. "I was scared. Terrified. Of what you might say, of how you would react. I didn't want to lose control, break down in front of you and everyone else. You're my best friend, but it's more than that. Zira, I lo---." He stopped himself. But he couldn't take it back, Aziraphale's eyebrows were raised. The barista knew he wasn't going to let it go. "I think I love you, angel." He muttered out, looking away. The book keeper before him squeezed his hand.

"I'm glad I know the truth. Because now maybe we can stop beating around the bush. Stop pretending and get to where we want to be." Aziraphale's voice was gentle, but determined. Crowley looked to him in surprise. This wasn't what he had been expecting to hear. The book keeper continued on. "We've both been blind fools. I take it that you haven't realized that I love you too." 

Everything froze, but Crowley didn't mind it this time. This, if it was real, might go down as the best moment of his life. "I--I. You do?" 

If it was somehow possible, Zira's gaze went even softer. He covered the barista's hand with his other, fully enveloping it. "Darling, of course I do." 

Crowley knew he wasn't lying. He'd never lie to him to begin with, especially not about this. He swallowed, taking a deep breath before he asked the next question. "May I kiss you?" 

The book keeper let out a little bit of a chuckle. "I was going to ask you that." 

With his consent given, Crowley got closer, put his right hand on Zira's shoulder; his left hand holding his face and finally pulled Aziraphale in for the first kiss of many. It was chaste, gentle, but full of emotions that had been pent up for months. It felt stronger than that, like multiple life-times of love had built up inside them. The feeling of the kiss reminded him of when he was a kid--- when summer would finally come after a long year of school. Or when you've been away for a long while, getting home to finally crawl into your own bed. Even that couldn't truly describe the emotions that were currently flowing. 

Crowley felt Aziraphale sigh against his lips, and the redhead went to pull away, not wanting to be too overwhelming. But to his surprise, the book keeper would not let him go; grabbing hold of his shirt-collar to pull him back in. They had many missed kisses to catch up on.

Meanwhile, back at the Middle Ground, another couple was getting their shit together. Beelzebub had wanted to run into the back when Aziraphale left with Crowley's address, but Gabriel wasn't about to let her escape. He lunged after his small manager, grabbing her wrist. "Nope! You're not running. We need to talk."

He dragged her to her office, sitting her down before shutting and locking the door. "So. You have feelings for me?" He asked this in a sharp tone of voice. He wasn't angry or upset with her because of the affections she might hold, but angry for how long she might have been holding this in.

Beelzebub had her arms crossed. "I think Crowley already informed you of that." It was clear that she had her guard up, eyes glancing at anything but him. Gabriel softened, his voice calmed. "Why didn't you say anything?"

Beelzebub's eyes shifted back to him. "How was I supposed to tell you? I wasn't about to risk losing my best friend- my only friend at the time. When you started seeing Aziraphale, I decided there was no way I would ever try to tell you. You clearly didn't feel the same."

His felt a tiny pang in his chest at her explanation. He stepped forward, delicately placing his hand on her cheek. She flinched at first, but let him do it. "I wish you had told me." 

Her eyes locked with his in confusion. "Why?" 

Gabriel kissed at Beelzebub's forehead then dropped his hand from her face, just so he could grab her hand. Part of him was expecting her to smack him, but she didn't. Although, she was getting more and more confused by the minute, as well as irritated. She wished he would stop the games, explain himself. 

"You've been really cold to me this past month--- it hurt me deeply. But I didn't really understand why it was so painful, but I'm starting too now. I have feelings for you. If you'd be willing, I want to try being with you." As he finished his statement, he leaned down to plant a kiss on her cheek.

She squeezed at his hand, but her words contrasted with her action. "What?" Beelzebub paused. "Gabriel, what are you playing at? Stop with these games, please."

Gabriel shook his head. "I'm serious! I like you, too. I've just been a dumbass. I wouldn't joke about this." 

Her eyes were searching him. His black-haired manager was beginning to come around, but didn't fully trust what he was saying yet. She always was stubborn. Determinedly, he grabbed her face again, lifting it up. "Perhaps this would convince you."

Gabriel began leaning in, giving her room to back out if she wanted. Her eyes widened at first, but then she screwed them shut and leant up to meet him. She nearly pulled him down into the chair with her, Gabriel let out a gasp of surprise, putting his hands on her shoulders to balance himself. It seemed they still had some things to work out.

Back at Crowley's flat, they had shifted positions on the couch, they were both backed up into the left corner of the couch, but stretched out into lying positions. Aziraphale had his arm wrapped around the back of Crowley, while the auburn-haired man in turn was snuggled up against him, an arm draped across his torso. They had the television on, but weren't really paying attention to it. It was just a comfortable background noise, they were completely focused on one another. "I can't believe it took us this long to finally fall into place." Aziraphale commented, kissing the crown of the barista's head. 

Crowley shrugged awkwardly in the blonde's hold. "Well, yeah. But it doesn't really matter now, does it? We're together. We got where we wanted to go. The road was a little bumpy but, eh. Right now, I'm happier than I've been in years. I'm yours, angel."

"Are you really?" Aziraphale asked softly. 

"'Till the end of time, if you'll have me around for that long." The auburn-haired man mumbled sleepily, turning to look up at the blonde. He was met with one of those adoring looks that made his heart beat more forcefully in his chest. Crowley couldn't believe he'd spent this long misreading and dismissing them. When he turned, Zira gently grabbed him by the back of his neck, pulling him up. He bent down a little awkwardly to press a soft kiss to his lips. 

Aziraphale did not go home that night. The couple had dozed off entangled together. Four hours had passed before one of them awoke, the one of which was Crowley. He blinked blearily at first, temporarily confused as to who he was cuddled up with. However the confusion was quickly washed away when his memory came flooding back, filling him with contentment. Then he looked at the clock. 1:17 a.m. was flashed back at him. He sighed, knowing Aziraphale would probably want to go home, but it wouldn't be right not to wake him. He had to give him the option to choose.

Regretfully, he reached up and shook the blonde's shoulder. The book keeper let out a groan, squeezing his eyes shut before he opened them. When he took sight of Crowley sitting there, looking at him, his face turned into a blissful smile. The ginger could really get used to that. "Hi, Crowley." He said, reaching out to cup his cheek. The barista reciprocated by placing his hand on top of the blonde's. 

"Hi. We were asleep for a while, it's gotten a bit late. I figured you might want to go home, but you're welcome to stay here if you want." Crowley told him gently, leaving the option purely up to him.

Aziraphale blinked at him. "I... I would stay, but I don't have anything to sleep in, or anything of the sorts."

"I'm sure I have a t-shirt that could fit you, I probably have an extra toothbrush too. But if you're more comfortable going home, my feelings won't be hurt." He assured the blonde, waiting for his response.

He took the redhead's hand. "If we can find those, I'd love to stay."

Crowley smiled brightly at him, then carefully pulled up his partner from the couch. He led them up the stairs to the bedroom. First stop, wardrobe. He swung open his closet haphazardly, going to the section where he hung his t-shirts. Crowley dug through them for a moment before finding one of his larger ones that were usually reserved for sleep. He didn't want Aziraphale to feel restricted in his sleep. He then chose one for himself before heading into the connected bathroom. 

He bent down, going under the sink to dig for a packaged toothbrush. He was sure he had one, his dentist gave him extra ones every time he went. Ah! There's one. 

"Hey, Zira." He went back into his bedroom, holding out the t-shirt with the toothbrush. Aziraphale gladly took it, they both went to the bathroom to brush their teeth. Then, they changed. Both lost their pants, replacing their current attire with just t-shirts and boxers. Aziraphale was adorable in his night-wear, the t-shirt a little long on him because the redhead had a couple inches on him. Not long after, the pair shuffled into bed with Aziraphale again on the left, Crowley on the right. 

"I think this might go down as one of the best days of my life." Aziraphale commented, giving Crowley another one of those looks that stole his heart. 

"I feel the same." He responded, meeting the look with a soft smile. Only Aziraphale was allowed to see these smiles.

They leaned in for a good-night kiss before Aziraphale took Crowley into his arms again. For the first time in a long time, life was truly good. 


	7. Tying Up Lose Ends

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We've reached the final chapter in our Coffee Shop AU :( This fic might have the title of the favorite fic I've written. However, I doubt this is the last you'll see of me. In fact, I am publishing a (kinda sad but with a happy ending bc I hate sad endings) ineffable Husbands oneshot! It's titled: They Survived, They Lived if you're interested! It's going to be posted tomorrow.  
> As for the posting date, I chose my schedule specifically so I could end this fic on my birthday, August 17th. Unfortunately the weird AO3 time thing messed with it, so I had to put the date in as the 18th so it would appear in the listings XD  
> All of your comments and Kudos have been so lovely. It's been a pleasure. I hope to see you all when I eventually post another Ineffable Husbands or Ineffable Bureacracy fic.  
> Also, final note, I love Michael Sheen and David Tennant so much? Like how is it possible for me to love someone this much when I don't even personally know them XD  
> Anyway, thank you all for reading. I'm so happy you made the journey with me. <3

The morning after the confessions, Crowley had received a text from Beelzebub.

**(Beelzebub):** _Hey, thanks for spilling to Gabriel that I liked him. I would almost be mad, but it got Gabriel and I together, finally. But also, I knew you didn't mean to do it._

He smiled. It looks like his manager found happiness alongside him. Crowley still had no idea what Beelzebub saw in him, especially after what he did, but. If she was happy, that was a good thing. 

**(Crowley):** _Well, I would apologize, but I guess I don't need too now. I did you a favor. Congratulations!_

Another text rang in a couple of minutes later, as he was getting up with Aziraphale. 

**(Beelzebub):** _Alright, don't let your ego inflate too much. What about Aziraphale? Did you two happen to work things out or what?_

**_(Crowley):_ ** _Yes, everything is okay between us. Much more than okay. We're together now, too. He showed up on my doorstep as I was having a breakdown. Apparently we've both been crushing on each other but hiding it._

**(Beelzebub):** _Oh, yeah, I might've given him your address after you ran out. So you're welcome. Congratulations to you both, even though you're both goofs._

Upon reading the message, he shook his head with a fond smile. He hoped they would still keep their friendship now that they had both gotten what they wanted. 

He sent another text to her, they kept the conversation going for a bit until they were done updating one another. Crowley suggested they go out to breakfast before Aziraphale went home. The blonde borrowed another t-shirt from Crowley, which made Crowley decide it needed to become a more regular thing. He got a kick out of seeing Aziraphale in his clothes. 

The plan was for Crowley to drive, they'd decided on a little cafe on the outskirts of Soho, one that was nothing like the Middle Ground. Then they'd go back to his flat, so Aziraphale could get his car and Crowley could get ready for work. They hadn't even gotten out of the flat for the first time, but the auburn-haired barista already knew it would be kind of difficult for him to separate from the book keeper. 

He was just finishing up his hair before he walked out towards the front door, where Zira was waiting for him. The blonde smiled at him as he came into view. 

"Ready, love?" Crowley asked him. Aziraphale raised his eyebrows for a split-second, the pet-name catching him off-guard. But he quickly shook it off, smiling even more as he nodded. With his affirmation, the owner of the flat opened the door, holding it open for Aziraphale. 

In the hall, as they walked to the lift, the smaller man's hand bumped into Crowley's. Crowley got the message, taking the offered hand gladly to intertwine their fingers. 

As they were driving, Crowley realized with a shocking revelation that this was basically their first date. It wasn't as daunting at the moment because of what had gone down last night. They had already technically gotten to the "I love you" stage. So, the redhead knew he really had nothing to be nervous about, but he still felt that rush of what Crowley should think were annoying butterflies. But because he felt them for Zira, they weren't as such. 

The breakfast date had gone well. Crowley had gotten coffee whilst Aziraphale had gotten tea. The contrast in their personality was highlighted in their drink choice, but unlike coffee and tea, they actually went well together. For food, Aziraphale had gotten crepes, which he seemed very excited for. Crowley had now learned that crepes were his favorite food. Meanwhile, Crowley had gotten avocado toast--- he wasn't really much of a breakfast person. The toast was quick, easy. 

The pair took their time on the way back, but before long it was time for them to go on their ways. The redhead parked the Bentley in his usual spot, in which Aziraphale's car was parked right next to it. The couple got out of the Bentley, Crowley stretching out his back with a satisfied _pop!_

Then he made his way around to the passenger side to where his partner was standing. "Thank you for breakfast, Crowley. It was lovely." 

The redhead couldn't help but smile. Part of him felt as though this had to be a dream, it couldn't be reality. He would believe it was a dream, but he'd already woken up. Aziraphale was here with him. He nearly shook his head at himself. If you told Crowley a year ago that he would be in love with a book shop owner, he would have laughed in your face. Aziraphale was changing him, but he thought it was for the better. He now had something to care about other than his house plants. 

He leaned up against the Bentley. Crowley's 'cool' nature would always be a part of him. "Anything for my angel." 

He still couldn't believe this. 

The book keeper let out a sigh, his shoulders deflating a little bit. He leaned forward, placing his palm on Crowley's chest. "I suppose I'd better get off, then. I have the book shop to open, you've got to get ready for work." 

The barista found a small frown adorning his face at that. "I suppose so, yes." 

Zira stood on his tiptoes, giving Crowley a good-bye kiss. Each of the kisses they shared were just as sweet as the first. "I'll see you later." Aziraphale promised him as they parted. 

Crowley waited for the blonde to get into his car before he started to turn and go back inside the flat building. However he was pulled back when he heard the car door open again, his voice calling out: "Oh! Crowley?"

The redhead turned in an instant to see the book keeper standing again, looking at him. "What does this all make us?" 

He felt a smile curling at the end of his lips. "What do you want to be, angel?" 

Aziraphale fell quiet for a moment, which made Crowley worry a bit. But then he piped up again. "How about boyfriends?" 

How had Crowley gotten so lucky? "Sounds like the best idea I've ever heard." 

\------------------

Crowley went to work with a spring in his step. Aziraphale was his boyfriend. Boyfriend. He walked in the door with his head held high, until he saw the back of Gabriel. Well, this was going to be tense, maybe awkward.

He ran into Beelzebub first, who met him with a grin. It was good to see her so happy, for once. But he had a concern to share with her. "Hey, Beelzebub. About Gabriel. Uh, I don't think things are completely smoothed over with him and I yet. Even though you're with Gabriel now, he might not take too kindly to me dating his recently- _ex_ boyfriend."

Beelzebub pressed her lips together, nodding. "Mm. I understand your concern. Trust me, if he tries to start anything, I'll take care of it." 

Having confidence in her word, he carried on getting ready for his shift.

Upon seeing Crowley, Gabriel instantly became a dog with it's hackles raised. The redhead saw this coming. Crowley wasn't too fond of him either after all of this--- the angel barista was a big part of the reason why Crowley and Aziraphale had been apart. However, he wasn't looking to start a fight.

Thankfully, his raven-haired manager saw her boyfriend starting to throw irritated glances his way. She walked up to him as he was ready to come over and say something, placing her hand carefully on his back. It was a relief to see Gabriel physically relax at the touch.

Aziraphale couldn't help himself from entering the Middle Ground at his usual time. He only hoped the dust was settling. Crowley seemed fine at work, so Gabriel hadn't bit his head off. It was going to be awkward though, seeing him. But he wanted to see Crowley. They'd spent enough time apart over the last month.

The blonde slipped outside his bookshop, locking it before making his merry way across the street. He pushed open the glass doors of the cafe to find Crowley already looking at him with a gaze full of affection. What a way to kickstart his heart.

Aziraphale had waited for a quiet time at the cafe, a time with a lack of customers so he could spend more time talking with his boyfriend. That thought was going to have quite the kick to it for a while.

He avoided Gabriel's gaze as he sauntered up to Crowley's register, where Aziraphale was met with a blinding smile.

"Hello, welcome to the Middle Ground. What can I get for you?" The barista used the coffee shop's formal greeting, teasing the book keeper with a wink.

\-----------------  
For some time, Crowley and Aziraphale absolutely avoided Gabriel when they could. When the redhead had to work with him, they would just quietly work around each other. But after a while, the remaining waves of tension calmed. They let go of their quarrels. It was harder to hate one another than to just live their lives.

In fact, Aziraphale had become acquainted with all of the staff members, due to the fact he was there so often. He'd sometimes visit during after hours to pick Crowley up to go out, and the couple would stay and chat. The first time they'd stayed after hours, they'd talked to Gabriel and Beelzebub about what had actually gone down between the four of them. 

Crowley had let out a laugh at one point, looking at Beelzebub tucked happily under Gabriel's arm. "I mean, it all worked out in the end. It took an explosion, but it did work out." 

Beelzebub faked a scowl at him. "Yeah, it took you telling Gabriel the one thing you weren't supposed to tell him." 

His eyebrows raised, he tilted his head; ready to deliver sass. "You should be thankful I told him! He's so thick he would've never figured it out on his own."

The manager crossed her arms. "Yeah... well. That's true, I guess." 

"Alright, I was kind of an idiot, we know!" Gabriel retorted, but he threw his other arm around her belly to fully hold her, kissing the side of her face before he rested his head on top of hers. The height difference between them was almost comical, but nobody dared laugh. Not only would you have to deal with the wrath of the manager, but Gabriel would jump in and bite your head off before she could even get to you. It was clear he hadn't been lying when he told Beelzebub he liked her for the first time, if his protective behavior toward her was anything to go by. She could defend herself, no doubt. "The one I wanted had been here the whole time." 

\---------------

Over time, Crowley had moved in with Aziraphale in his bookshop. He had begun spending most of his time there, only really going to his flat to care for his plants. He had even started leaving clothing and his essential items due to how often he slept at Aziraphale's. 

But part of him was still shocked when they were snuggled together on the couch, his boyfriend turning to him suddenly. "Crowley my dear, why don't you move the rest of your things in?" 

He was taken aback by the words. The barista struggled to sit up, nearly falling off the couch until Zira grabbed for him. He turned to him to take in his expression. "You want me to move the rest of my stuff in?" 

Zira nodded in response, not even batting an eye. "Like... you want to start living together? Full-time?" The redhead asked, making sure the book keeper knew what he was getting into by asking. 

The blonde interlocked their fingers. "Darling, we practically already do. We both know that really the only time you go back to your flat is to look after your plants. You are more than welcome to bring your plants here, I know they make you happy and they're quite beautiful." 

Crowley couldn't help from leaning over to kiss Aziraphale, whom gladly met him halfway. Just like that, it was settled. Crowley quickly brought his plants, some of which were placed around the bookshop while the others were scattered upstairs. He brought over the minimal amounts of clothing and other personal items that still remained in the apartment, then he turned in his key. He was now living with his boyfriend. That thought brought about one of the most satisfying feelings he'd ever felt.

The term boyfriend soon turned into fiancé, then the term fiancé turned into husband. Neither had ever been so happy. Thank the Heavens that Aziraphale had decided to visit The Middle Ground.

**Author's Note:**

> As for updates, I believe the schedule will be about every five days. So the next chapter I post will be on July 24th! Hopefully I'll see you there :)


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